I'm kind of new here, only been posting for about 2 months and don't really know anyone here personally. There is a poster here that goes by the moniker of "WRB" and he has caught some really big bass out there in CA. Now I know that I am envious of such bass and I'm sure many others here are as well. So every time WRB post, I see his photo and this huge bass that looks big enough to be a grouper. And every time I see it, this picture pops into my mind of a movie we have all seen ~ WRB would be the guy in the foreground and the rest of us are unfortunately the other guy. Hey, I'm just sayin'....   

 

He's long-arming it. ? Just kidding @WRB

Oh I’d say it was legit without reservation. Wealth of knowledge coming from Tom. Especially the history of lures and techniques. 

That’s a huge bass. Wonder what it weighed?

52 minutes ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

Wonder what it weighed?

I believe that's his 19.3 but I could be wrong.  Please correct me if so.

 

He's a good dude.  Wealth of knowledge and willing to share.  I can't speak for Tom, but I can guarantee that a lot more than luck went into his many trophy bass.

58 minutes ago, rtwvumtneer6 said:

I can't speak for Tom, but I can guarantee that a lot more than luck went into his many trophy bass.

One? Might be luck. Two? More? Nah. Nobody has that much luck. That’s knowledge and skill. 

Dude knows he stuff...no doubt about it

Welcome and WRB is a walking encyclopedia for sure. 
 

I say think jokingly. Stop at WRB. Do not view the pictures of smallies  from Jfrancho or Ajay(well, Ajay has some big largies too). You just might quit bass fishing and take up ukulele playing, lol. Really, just kidding. 

5 minutes ago, islandbass said:

Welcome and WRB is a walking encyclopedia for sure. 
 

I say think jokingly. Stop at WRB. Do not view the pictures of smallies  from Jfrancho or Ajay(well, Ajay has some big largies too). You just might quit bass fishing and take up ukulele playing, lol. Really, just kidding. 

 

 

Yeah, I watched A-Jay's video, looks like he's in smallmouth heaven. He has a telescope like this....

@Bubba 460: I forgot to mention the bass in your profile pic isn’t too shabby. ?

36 minutes ago, islandbass said:

@Bubba 460: I forgot to mention the bass in your profile pic isn’t too shabby. ?

I gotta agree here!

I'm stuck in the land of tiny bass. A really big bass in my book is any largemouth over 6 or smallmouth over 4. So it's hard seeing some of the monsters that others catch and brush off fish that would make my year to catch. Just have to keep it in context. WRB's PB fish beats our state record by over 7 pounds ?‍♂️ I'm hoping to one day catch a DD in my home state despite the extremely small odds, but it happens occasionally, so I'll keep trying.

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm stuck in the land of tiny bass. A really big bass in my book is any largemouth over 6 or smallmouth over 4.

Look at my signature, buddy...a 6#LMB is a dream and any SMB would almost give me a heart-attack.

DD Bass? Here? Don't make me laugh.

33 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

6#LMB is a dream

My dream is to catch a 5 this summer, and I think its possible in my lake. But a 6 would be amazing.

2 minutes ago, Bluegillslayer said:

My dream is to catch a 5 this summer, and I think its possible in my lake. But a 6 would be amazing.

A 5 would give me a new PB (begs, pleads, offers sacrifice)

 

6's are possible - my lake has even produced the occasional 7

Sadly, there is about a 0.00001% chance of me catching a DD bass in my state. But I do want to break my PB of 4 1/2 pounds, and I've seen (And hooked and lost) some 5-pounders. Maybe soon I'll get one in!

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm stuck in the land of tiny bass. A really big bass in my book is any largemouth over 6 or smallmouth over 4. So it's hard seeing some of the monsters that others catch and brush off fish that would make my year to catch. Just have to keep it in context. WRB's PB fish beats our state record by over 7 pounds ?‍♂️ I'm hoping to one day catch a DD in my home state despite the extremely small odds, but it happens occasionally, so I'll keep trying.

 

"The land of tiny bass"... or better known as "Munchkin Land". The VA state record is a tad over 16# so that's not bad for mid eastern state. Tom's 19 plus is just a couple of dinks short of a world record, the thing is beastly. I fish in some gnarly places and have lost one in particular that was 13+ last year. She jumped all the way out of the water 4 feet from the boat then found a log to wrap around. Always excited to hook a hog then I remember all the stumps and logs she's in ~ *GULP*

Just now, Bubba 460 said:

The VA state record is a tad over 16# so that's not bad for mid eastern state.

Don't feel bad - MN state record is 8#15oz....

Tom appreciation day. I like it. I tried Nichols and Brass N Glass because of him and he has changed the way I retrieve jigs. Thanks Tom ?

I believe he is the type of guy you can reach out and talk to. 
 

Private message him. I’m pretty sure y’all can converse on fishing or whatever. He’s a straight up guy who’s been at this a long time. Good luck. 

Tom is a legend in my book. Apart from the wealth of knowledge he freely shares, over the years I've received from him several twin spins, custom viper-head jigs, three of the articles he wrote, and probably a few other things too.

 

Before BR, he used to post on another forum under the username "oldschool". About 7 years back, I saved all his posts there I could find.

 

I don't specifically fish for big fish any more; actually I don't fish half as hard as I used to (before I really started learning about big bass). But now that I know what I know, I catch a lot more 3-5# NLMBs from the small somewhat pressured public reservoirs I fish.

 

Thank you Tom!

What makes this site so popular is the quality and unselfishness of its members. 

Given his experience, knowledge and achievements Tom is certainly one of the best I’ve ever come across.
Very few anglers are as accomplished as he is. His skill is unquestioned. 
Tom demands respect because he’s earned it. 
 

I’m sure he would agree, the knowledge, accomplishments and skill level of some other anglers who frequently post here is also unmatched 
 

 

 

 

Mike

I appreciate the positive feedback more the you know.

The humerus initial post is needed time to time and also appreciated, smiles are hard to come by these days.

The avatar bass was 18.6 lbs caught in 1981, 40 years ago now. The mount by Roberts Trophy Fish Mounts. There is a photo somewhere of the 19.3 on this site. The avatar bass was 28 1/2” long and 28” girth,same measurement and the 19.3 both are the same. The mount represents all my giant bass and  hangs in the garage today along with a few other fish collecting dust.

Agian thank you all, it means a lot to me.

Tom

I dusted off all my GYCB grubs because of Tom’s posts here. Have a bunch but got away from them for inexplicable reasons. I know they catch fish, but got into the mindset that there was always something better. Now I wish I can do the same with Iovino baits! Robos put them on the shelf for me and they do catch a lot of fish, especially colors that you know who has suggested. Time to give the Iovinos a reboot!

I've seen those Big bass mounts in person, pic's do not do them justice.

Tom is imho a special person, talking with him, he is very generous, is a wealth of knowledge, and is an all around Nice guy.

I made the drive to his home to buy some gear, and could have listened to him talk about fishing for hours. I just wish I'd met him sooner.

When Tom talks, I listen.

Greg